There is no single “women’s safety app” that does everything. In the UK the options split into three kinds: free tools already on your phone (iPhone Emergency SOS and Check In, Android Emergency SOS and Safety Check), apps that alert people you choose (Hollie Guard, WalkSafe+, Safety App UK), and services you can use without an app (the Strut Safe phone line, Ask for Angela in venues, StreetSafe reporting). Only your phone’s SOS calls 999 for you.
Updated 4 October 2026 · Sources: Apple Support, Google Android Help, App Store listings, walksafe.io, strutsafe.org, askforangela.co.uk, police.uk StreetSafe (all checked 4 October 2026). Disclosure: we make Safety App UK, one of the options below.
No app or helpline replaces a 999 call. If you are in danger, call 999 (or 112). If you can’t speak, stay on the line: see how to make a silent 999 call.
Women’s safety apps and services compared
What each option does when something goes wrong. Green ▲ = yes, amber ▬ = partly or only in some cases, red ▼ = no. Features change, so check each official page before you rely on one.
Checked 4 October 2026 on each service’s own website, App Store listing, Apple Support and Google Android Help. We make Safety App UK; we have tried to describe every option fairly and have not ranked them.
What is the best safety app for women in the UK?
No single app is best for everyone. Start with the free tools on your phone: iPhone Emergency SOS and Check In, or Android Emergency SOS and Safety Check, because only these call 999 for you. Then add an app for what they lack, such as evidence recording (Hollie Guard), a map of safe venues (WalkSafe+) or a live safety map (Safety App UK, made by us).
Are women’s safety apps free?
Many are. The iPhone and Android safety features are built in at no cost. Hollie Guard is free to download, and only its monitored upgrade, Hollie Guard Extra, is paid. WalkSafe+ says you can join for free. Strut Safe charges the standard 03 rate, usually covered by inclusive minutes. Safety App UK (made by us) costs £2.99 a month after a 7-day free trial.
Do safety apps call the police?
Most don’t. Your phone’s Emergency SOS is the one tool that calls emergency services; on iPhone it then texts your emergency contacts with your location. Third-party apps such as WalkSafe+ and Safety App UK alert people you choose, not the police. Hollie Guard Extra adds a 24/7 monitoring centre that can involve the emergency services. Set up Emergency SOS on your phone first.
What can I use without downloading an app?
Three UK services need no app. Strut Safe is a volunteer phone line (0333 335 0026) that stays with you on the walk home, Thursday to Sunday from 7pm. Ask for Angela gets you discreet help from staff in participating venues. StreetSafe on police.uk lets you report an unsafe place anonymously.
Which option fits which situation?
What each option actually does
iPhone Emergency SOS and Check In. Press and hold the side button and either volume button to call emergency services; after the call your iPhone texts your emergency contacts with your location and sends updates. Check In (iOS 17 or later for both people) tells a friend when you arrive and shares your location, battery and signal if you don’t.
Android Emergency SOS and Safety Check. Press the power button five or more times to call for help, share your location with emergency contacts and record video, depending on your settings. Safety Check (Android 12 or later) notifies your emergency contacts if you don’t respond within the time you set.
Hollie Guard. A free app from the Hollie Gazzard Trust. Shake the phone or tap to alert your contacts with your location while it records audio and video; it also has journey and meeting modes, fall detection and a Mask Mode disguise. Read our full Hollie Guard guide.
WalkSafe+. A free app by Chaperhome Ltd with journey sharing, an SOS button that sends your live location to trusted contacts, a national map of safety-trained venues and community alerts such as poor lighting. It works with councils, police forces and venues.
Strut Safe. A UK-wide volunteer line: 0333 335 0026, Thursday and Sunday 7pm–1am, Friday and Saturday 7pm–3am. A volunteer stays on the phone until you are home.
Ask for Angela and StreetSafe. Ask for Angela is a codeword for discreet help in participating venues. StreetSafe lets you report places where you felt unsafe without giving your name; it is not for reporting crimes.
Safety App UK (made by us). SOS by button, shake or automatically in higher-crime zones, sending live location and live video to your trusted circle, plus a live safety map, safer routes and Safe Zone alerts. It does not contact the emergency services, and is for ages 16+.
Myths and facts
- Myth: a safety app will send the police. Fact: most apps alert your own contacts; only your phone’s Emergency SOS calls emergency services (and Hollie Guard Extra’s monitoring centre can involve them).
- Myth: you need to pay for protection. Fact: the built-in iPhone and Android tools, Ask for Angela and StreetSafe are free.
- Myth: an app works anywhere. Fact: alerts need a charged phone and a data connection; a 999 call may still connect when data doesn’t.
- Myth: StreetSafe is for emergencies. Fact: it is for non-urgent reports about places; in danger, call 999.
For the full routine on the way home, see our walking home at night checklist, and for instant noise without unlocking your phone, a personal alarm. If you think someone is behind you, read what to do if you’re being followed.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Hollie Guard and WalkSafe+ are free to download, and the safety features built into iPhone and Android cost nothing. Hollie Guard’s monitored Extra upgrade is paid.
There is no official “safest” app. iPhone Check In and Android Safety Check alert a friend if you don’t arrive or respond, WalkSafe+ shares your journey, and Strut Safe keeps a volunteer on the phone. Use whichever your trusted contacts will actually see.
Yes. iPhone and Android let you share your live location through built-in apps. See how to share your live location.
Look up recorded street-level crime with the postcode checker on safety-app.uk, and read how to check crime in your area for what the data can and can’t tell you.
Sources
- Apple: Use Emergency SOS on your iPhone
- Apple: Check In for Messages
- Google Android Help: personal safety features
- App Store: Hollie Guard – Personal Safety
- WalkSafe+ and its App Store listing
- Strut Safe
- Ask for Angela
- police.uk: StreetSafe
General information, checked 4 October 2026. App features and prices change; check the official page before you rely on one. We are not affiliated with any other service listed. In an emergency, always call 999.
Keep reading
Want a safety map and an SOS in one app?
Safety App UK pairs an SOS (by button, shake, or automatically in higher-crime zones) that sends your live location and live video to a trusted circle with a live safety map built from police data and community reports, including police stations and Ask for Angela venues, plus safer routes and Safe Zone arrival alerts. It does not call the emergency services, so in an emergency always dial 999. Free for 7 days, then £2.99 a month. For ages 16+.